Series_Name: World Data Center for Paleoclimatology Data Contribution Series

Issue_Identification: 2001-024

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Boulder

Publisher: World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder

Description:

Abstract:

Extension, Density, and Calcification data from 35 Porites coral cores covering the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Data set contains 35 individual core data sets plus time series 1746-1982 of average calcification rate for 10 of these sites. The Australian Institute of Marine Science began collecting cores from very large massive colonies of Porites on the Great Barrier Reef in the early 1980s. Such cores cannot normally be identified to species. The cores were mounted and sawn to remove slices that were about 6-7mm thick. All slices were X-rayed and skeletal density measured along a central track on each slice using a gamma densitometer. The high density portion of annual density bands in Porites from the Great Barrier Reef appears to form usually between October and March, the Southern Hemisphere summer. Peaks in the density profiles were successively counted backwards from the last (outermost or youngest) peak. Density was assumed to peak in January and the most recent peak was dated from the date of collection of the core. Dates were then assigned to all peaks in the series. Time series of the following skeletal growth parameters were then obtained: 1) Average annual density (g.cm-3) 2) Annual linear extension measured between high density peaks (cm.yr-1) 3) Annual calcification (g.cm-2.yr-1_; the product of annual average density and annual linear extension. These data were obtained from coral cores taken at 35 sites on the Great Barrier Reef. The density profiles do not always display regular, obvious annual peaks and we could not be absolutely sure of the dating for some profiles. We consider there may be errors of + or - 2-3 years in the starting data of some of these series. File AIMS10CoreAvg.txt: Time series of average calcification rate is based on 10 Porites corals for 1746-1982: Jeannie River, Flinders Reef, Brook Island, Britomart Reef, Lodestone Reef, Wheeler Reef, Havannah Island, Hook Island, Sanctuary Reef, and Abraham Reef. 3 series are presented: 1) Annual average values expressed as standardized anomalies; each of the 10 series was converted to standardized anomalies with respect to 1934-1982 mean and sd; resulting series then averaged for 10 corals. 2) Annual average standardized anomales filtered with 5-year gaussian filter. 3) Annual average series converted to original calcification units (g.cm-2.yr-1) filtered with 5-year gaussian filter. Because of potential dating errors the last two series are considered to be most reliable. Lough and Barnes (1997) suggest that ~30% of the variance in the 10-coral calcification series can be explained by variations of annual sea-surface temperature.

Lough, J.M. and D.J. Barnes, 2000. Environmental controls on growth of the massive coral Porites. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 245: 225-243.Lough, J.M. and D.J. Barnes, 1997. Several centuries of variation in skeletal extension, density and calcification in massive Porites colonies from the Great Barrier Reef: a proxy for seawater temperature and a background of variability against which to identify unnatural change. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 211: 29-67.; Chalker, B.E. and D.J. Barnes, 1990. Gamma densitometry for the measurement of coral skeletal density. Coral Reefs, 4: 95-100.

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: unknown

Range_Domain_Maximum: unknown

Attribute_Units_of_Measure: g/cm3

Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 1.0

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: ext

Attribute_Definition: annual linear extension rate

Attribute_Definition_Source:

Lough, J.M. and D.J. Barnes, 2000. Environmental controls on growth of the massive coral Porites. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 245: 225-243.Lough, J.M. and D.J. Barnes, 1997. Several centuries of variation in skeletal extension, density and calcification in massive Porites colonies from the Great Barrier Reef: a proxy for seawater temperature and a background of variability against which to identify unnatural change. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 211: 29-67.; Chalker, B.E. and D.J. Barnes, 1990. Gamma densitometry for the measurement of coral skeletal density. Coral Reefs, 4: 95-100.

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: unknown

Range_Domain_Maximum: unknown

Attribute_Units_of_Measure: cm/yr

Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 1.0

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: calcif

Attribute_Definition: annual calcification rate

Attribute_Definition_Source:

Lough, J.M. and D.J. Barnes, 2000. Environmental controls on growth of the massive coral Porites. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 245: 225-243.Lough, J.M. and D.J. Barnes, 1997. Several centuries of variation in skeletal extension, density and calcification in massive Porites colonies from the Great Barrier Reef: a proxy for seawater temperature and a background of variability against which to identify unnatural change. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 211: 29-67.; Chalker, B.E. and D.J. Barnes, 1990. Gamma densitometry for the measurement of coral skeletal density. Coral Reefs, 4: 95-100.

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: unknown

Range_Domain_Maximum: unkown

Attribute_Units_of_Measure: g/cm2/yr

Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 1.0

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NOAA Paleoclimatology Program

Contact_Position: Data Manager

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing Address

Address: 325 Broadway, Code E/CC23

City: Boulder

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80305-3328

Country: U.S.A.

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 497-6280

Contact_TDD/TTY_Telephone: (303) 497-6958

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (303) 497-6513

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:paleo@noaa.gov

Hours_of_Service: 9-5 MST Monday-Friday

Resource_Description: Other Documents

Distribution_Liability:

Disclaimer- While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.